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A 2010 study by consulting firm, BlessingWhite showed that just 31% of employees are engaged at work. That leaves a boat load of people who don’t want to be at work. My experience is that a majority of professionals hang on to a job when they should be walking away.

Think about your current position. Now think about you in that position—not just skill set, talent and experience, but also enthusiasm, attitude, motivation. Now imagine that your current position is an open job post, and you are the hiring manager.

In 2002, I was in a job that made me miserable. I didn’t realize how unhappy I was until I was in a leadership development program. I had to assess how much I was in alignment with the organization—in terms of values, interests, goals. After filling out the form, I remember thinking, “That bad, huh?” I had been in denial.

But I still wasn’t willing to take action. In my mind, I assigned a half-hearted timeframe of 18 months to leave my job. Of course, there was no plan, preparing me for this milestone.

A few weeks later, a friend called at the end of the day. She was a couple of levels up from me at the same company. While she didn’t say it out loud, I knew she was giving me a heads up that I was on a list of people to be laid off. I didn’t have the courage to fire myself, so the company did it for me. They took the choice away from me and guess what? It was a relief. Someone had the wisdom to give me my freedom, because I wasn’t brave enough to claim it for myself. Photo by Sean MacEntee.

On my last day at work, my manager came to my office. She said quietly, “You are leaving too soon.” And I replied, “No, it’s not too soon at all.”

Many years ago, at that same company, I remember a VP who talked about his career as part of a career development program for employees. He had recently arrived from a competitor and was known as a hatchet man at his previous company. So it came as a surprise when he confessed to having gotten poor performance reviews during his career. To him, a poor review meant that he had gotten stale in his job. It was a sign that he needed to move to another job. He fired himself.

Why is it so important to be able to fire yourself?

As a career coach, it’s sad to see professionals who have stayed on the job too long. The personal toll is significant, including:

Energy drain. A poor fitting job—whether it’s a mismatch in values, skills, talents, or interest—takes more energy than one that fits well. It’s a constant uphill battle. And these days, no one has energy to waste. Photo by sapiensolutions

Erosion of self-esteem. Often, a poor fit includes an unsupportive manager, or at least one who doesn’t appreciate your contributions. Over time, you begin to doubt your abilities. You yearn for respect and dignity again.

Inability to produce your best work. Sometimes, a poor fit results in a mediocre performance review. If you are someone who has lots of experience in your role, you might be able to pull off good reviews. But deep down, you know that you could be producing not just good results, but stellar results.

Snuffing out of life force. In extreme cases, staying in a job that doesn’t fit can mean losing your mojo, the thing that keeps you healthy, resilient and vibrant. You’ve seen people like this on the job. These are the walking dead. Their faces are lifeless. It’s hard to get a laugh out of them. They’ve been beaten down. Photo by PopCultureGeek.com

Still not convinced?

I know. You can’t leave your job. You have kids to put through college, a large mortgage, and that expensive summer vacation to pay off. Plus you’re due for a new car. Not to mention that the economy is terrible.

This is called stonewalling. It’s a tactic that a lot of people use. In their minds, it’s a question of leave now or not at all. But that’s a false dilemma.

It’s not a question of whether to leave. It’s a question of when.

With adequate planning, most people have more financial options than they think. One of the first things I advise someone in this situation is to create a financial plan. Know the bare minimum you need to live on. Develop a reasonable budget. Figure out how long you can go without a paycheck. Take stock of your assets. And be willing to trade off short term income for your long-term ability to earn a living, not to mention having a satisfying life.

Once you make the decision to leave, you’ll notice an immediate spike in your energy.

That’s because you have something to work towards that’s meaningful. This is energy that can go towards networking, upgrading your online presence, and attracting opportunities by building a body of work that is distinctive and valuable.

I once had a coaching client who decided she would leave her job in six months. On the day that she made that decision, she took control of her destiny. She stopped complaining about her work situation. She became excited about the future. And she showed up differently with others. Several months later, she was approached for a COO position at a non-profit that she had volunteered with for over a decade. Within a week of her deadline for being in a new job, she accepted the COO position with the new company.

Sure, change is scary.

And if you weren’t scared about the kind of change I’ve been talking about, there’s probably something wrong with you. But I’ve never met anyone who felt they left a poorly fitting job too soon. Have you?

The commitment to change is about valuing your self-worth. It's the first step to having a rich career, not just a job. Things won’t change overnight. But by putting one foot in front of another, you’ll soon find yourself in a much better place.

The first is a commencement speech given by Robert Krulwich, the science reporter, to UC Berkeley Journalism School's graduating class of 2011. While Krulwich addresses the future of journalism, I think he's really speaking to the future of work. To be successful in your career, one needs to think and act like an entrepreneur--taking risks, making a left when everyone else is going right and following a passion. It's what I call the 3 L's of Careers: Leaps, Left Turns, and Love.

The second thing worth viewing is a TED talk on vulnerability and letting go, to get what we really want in life. The speaker, a researcher at the University of Houston Graduate College ofof Social Work, Brene Brown, is funny, authentic, and self-effacing. I love her exploration of the concept of wholeheartedness and being enough, just as we are.

During my month-long hiatus, I'm learning to do more of the latter--being enough, just as I am. It makes me think about my my friend, Ilene Kouzel, who died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 2006. Near the end of her life, she found the joy of being an artist. I remember her saying, "I used to do art so that I could make something for someone else, for example, a handmade card. But now, I fully enjoy the process, no matter the outcome." She was enough and her art didn't need to provide anything else other than enjoyment.

And finally, here's a video that will make you think twice about how to create messages that connect and compel others to act.

When I can learn something about myself, it's worth the time and effort it takes. It's especially valuable when I can do it, just by watching a short video. Videos worth sharing.....

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, talks about why we have too few women leaders. She points out the unconscious behavior that we are all susceptible to in the workplace, in a clear, no nonsense way.

Benjamin Zander, conductor, speaker and author of the book, The Art of Possibility, talks about the stories that classical music tells, if we know how to listen. He ends with some wonderful wisdom about showing up, when he says, "Who are we being, that our children's eyes are not shining?"

And finally, take a look at this new feature from LinkedIn that allows you to visualize and analyze your network.

It was an eye opener for me, as I could see that I have not kept my network up to date with the direction of my business. A major portion of revenue for me these days is from universities, through my startup, My Alumni Link. Yet my network of alumni directors, at least on LinkedIn, is amazingly small.

What videos have you seen recently that are teaching you about yourself?

Yeah, I know that's a bit snarky. Honestly, most people aren't happy with their LinkedIn profile, but they don't do anything about it. It's like having a bad haircut and hoping 1) no one notices (ummm, yeah) and 2) as it grows out, it will look better. (It never does.) Photo by Robert Glen Fogarty.

Let me make things easy for you. For four days only, (yes, I'm settling into my infomercial voice), from Dec 27-30, I'm offering my Remarkable Online Profile Kit for just $27. That's more than a 40% savings over the regular price of $47. You get my expertise, distilled into a self-guided coaching process to help you tell your story. All at a fraction of the cost of my coaching fees.

I don't typically promote my products and services on this blog, but frankly, I know this kit can help a *ton* of people, for the price of a couple of movie tickets. That's not hype. That's from seeing the results users are getting.

So, no more excuses. I hope to see some fabulous LinkedIn profiles in 2011. (They've been in short supply up till now.) I want yours to be one of them.

These are the words that came out of a mentor's mouth, after listening to me talk uninterrupted, about things going on in my newest business, My Alumni Link. It's not the first time I've heard those words. One of my friends had told me this about a year ago, when I responded to an email with all the stuff that was in my head about work. He politely acknowledged my email and left it at that.

But now, my mentor elaborated, with the type of honesty that you couldn't pay someone to have with you.

"You're scattered. Until you can focus, no one can help you. Which means you have to do this on your own, until you can get out of this state. The best thing you can do for yourself is go sit by a stream and meditate."

Ugh. I knew what he said to be true. I had been running hard and fast for the last month, trying to make headway on several different initiatives, including the launch of a new product. I was the marketing, sales, product development and operations departments, all in the course of a day. I woke up thinking about emails I needed to write. My work day extended into the evenings, implementing one more change on a website or cranking out one more proposal. And while I made a point to get exercise each day, I was having trouble keeping my mind from wandering during my workouts. Photo by cod_gabriel

And now, my mentor was calling it like he saw it. Ineffective, until further notice. Too much noise.

"You've got to find a way to slow down your mind."

At the moment he said these words, it sounded like an oxymoron. I pride myself on taking in lots of information, processing it to find the useful nugget, and quickly turning that into action. At some point, though, this process becomes counterproductive. The equivalent of a "tilt" alarm on a pinball machine had gone off for me, betrayed by gibberish spewing forth. Photo by BeerNotBombs

Soon after this conversation, I left the office for the rest of the day and went out to lunch with my family.

Since then, I've moved stacks of paper from my desk, put them out of sight and prioritized projects. I've cleared the deck for most of Thanksgiving week and hope to hit several yoga classes. I'm getting back to my spiritual center, where being and doing are in balance. I feel like I can breathe again. Photo by Mike Baird.

This morning, I received an email from one of my blogging buddies, where she said,"Everyone I speak to seems to be so completely overwhelmed. I have been, too." I don't think this is a short-term condition. Witness the popularity of the phrase, "crazy busy." Photo by eyesplash Mikul.

It's not just work that is causing us to be crazy busy. My son is a high school senior and between classes, taking the SAT, college applications and college interviews/visits, he's crazy busy. I was crazy busy on Saturday, starting at 9:30am, with a reunion of the group of kids that went to China this summer, to running errands around town (including a mad dash to the Borders with my older son to get a book on preparing for the SAT) to picking up my younger son and his friends from a homecoming dance. My day ended after midnight.

This is not to engender sympathy. Or to win an endurance competition. Resting and rejuvenating has its place. But sometimes, it's necessary to be operating at peak performance, when everything just hums along. One small hiccup (like my son getting mono last spring before AP exams), throws a monkey wrench into everything. Whether it's getting through a tough project, or a month of business travel, or a packed weekend, there are times when you need to be operating at your best, to get whatever you want to get done.

So, here are my top tips on maintaining peak performance, even when crazy busy:

Exercise every day or at a minimum, get fresh air. And I mean every day. Whether it's a ten minute walk outside your office or doing yoga stretches in a hotel room (I always travel with a yoga mat), this one act will energize you. At home, I've taken long walks with my sister on a cold gray day and once, even ventured out in a snow storm. (I wore ski goggles). Moving your body and getting more oxygen to your brain are essential to life. Plus, I always feel better afterward. Photo by Jomzki

Watch what you eat. It's easy to gorge yourself on rich food, extra desserts, and another glass of wine, especially when you are traveling and on expense account. But as I've gotten older, I've not only heard that our bodies don't need as many calories, I can feel it. My body rebels when I've "fed the meter one too many quarters." Instead of the usual portion of meat or pasta, I cut it in half and load up on green veggies. Or a big slice of cantaloupe. If I have a craving for something sweet, I substitute really fresh fruit (peaches have been remarkable this season) for that brownie. If all else fails, I will sneak one spoonful of chocolate ice cream (what's a teen household without a constant supply?) and no more. Once again, eating only what I really need (and want) keeps me operating smoothly.

Get enough sleep. It's been commonly reported that most Americans don't get enough sleep. I try not to be one of them. If you have trouble getting to bed on time, try setting a timer for the optimal time when you'd like to be in bed. Just the act of knowing that a timer will go off will make you more aware of how you are spending your evening time. Honestly, one more email, one more load of laundry, or a clean kitchen isn't going to make a difference. Better to get the sleep and feel refreshed in the morning. Photo by supagroova.

Make time for your creative side. This may be counter-intuitive for some of you. You may be thinking, "What if I don't have a creative side?" However this looks for you, it's the thing that once you do carve out time for, you wonder why you aren't doing more of "it." Like me and blogging. Or a friend I know who plays the cello in a community orchestra and loves to write songs. This is exactly the type of activity that fuels peak performance.

Breathe. This is one of my favorites and was the inspiration for this post. My friend, Sally, after noticing everyone is overwhelmed, put on her blog a posting titled, "On Breathing." The lovely thing about breathing, deep breathing, is that you can do it anytime, any place. In the middle of a meeting, as a break from a spreadsheet rally, or while in a traffic jam.

Looking at this list, it seems like common sense. But common sense has a way of eluding us, especially when we are fighting lions and tigers in our everyday life.

One last tip: Ask yourself, when things feel overwhelming, what do I need now to maintain peak performance?

One of the joys of having a blog is being able to share the good stuff that I find, whether it's books, blogs, classes, or videos. Here's a list of resources worth sharing, for smarter work and better living. All of these speakers and authors provide truth that can spur us on to be our best selves:

Leveraging Your Strengths workshop series in Denver, sponsored by the Women'sVision Foundation. July 13, 20, and 27, 4-6pm. For those of you who are fans of the StrengthsFinder assessment, this series is presented by my friend, Carol Alm, former SVP of client services at The Gallup Organization. Her work with StrengthsFinder harkens back to the early days of this now classic talent assessment. Her knowledge of how to apply the assessment results is unparalleled. This is a rare chance for the public to learn from one of the pioneers in this field. Click here for more details. Photo by koko_sexton

Linchpin by Seth Godin.
In a
world where being a cog doesn't cut it anymore--for individuals,
companies, society--this book inspires, provides insight, and more
importantly, helps you think differently about what's possible. Godin
covers a broad range of topics related to "linchpins", from a culture of
gifts to the work of an artist to seeing the world as it truly is,
without attachment. He champions the part in each of us that yearns to
do something meaningful and remarkable in the world, and helps us to overcome
the "lizard brain" to make art. Godin is a humanitarian in the truest sense
of the word.

Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim. Oh, how I wish this book had been published 10 years ago, when I knew I was destined to leave the corporate world, but didn't have the courage or know-how to do it. (It was finally a layoff that pushed me out the door.) Slim addresses the nuts and bolts of leaving your job to strike out on your own as well as the fears (both legitimate and groundless) that so many of us have. Part life coach, part business strategist, part experienced mentor from having done it herself, Slim provides a brilliant road map. It was lovely to read this book and chuckle at all the places where my experience was in complete alignment with the advice given. I enjoyed this book so much that I decided to sign up for Slim's Lift Off Retreat next month, co-facilitated with Charlie Gilkey, and intended for "creative entrepreneurs."

Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. This is destined to be the next classic for new entrepreneurs and those who have been in the trenches for awhile. Pithy advice grounded in real-world experience, the authors are the founders of software company, 37signals. They give you every reason to go against the status quo and trust your instincts. Much of the advice is counter-intuitive but stuff you know in your gut (e.g., planning is guessing; burning the midnight oil doesn't result in productivity). This is one to buy and re-read on a regular basis to remind yourself of what matters when running a business.

Videos by Katherine Center. These gorgeous, short videos will perk up your day. I just discovered Center's site and while her words are compelling, her videos are mesmerizing. She's got 27 uploaded to her YouTube channel and while I've only viewed a few of them, I'm convinced the other ones will make me just as happy. Here's one that I particularly like:

What are you finding that's worth sharing? Let us know. Leave a comment below.

Back story sells. People want the inside scoop. The why and how, not just the what.

I was talking with a woman who built a thriving graphic design business of twenty employees and then sold it. In fact, she's sold two businesses. She started a new career in health care, working as a physician administrator. Along the way, she went back to school to get a master's degree in medical informatics, which combines electronic medical records with workflow analysis. While it's a hot area now, with federal stimulus money rewarding providers who can streamline their medical record keeping, Jane has found it difficult to break into the field. It seems consultancies and hospitals and physician groups all want people with experience. Photo by MC4 Army

I asked Jane how she decided to go into this new field. "Oh, that's easy. I have an undergraduate degree in biology. I was always interested in medicine, but I kind of fell into the graphic design business after I graduated."

She went on to explain the seed of her passion for medicine. "When I was a child, one of my family members was in the hospital, for something minor. I remember my Italian grandmother, speaking in broken English at the hospital, that we needed to stay there with our family, that it wasn't safe to leave them there alone. My grandmother watched was going on and she observed how mistakes could be made." Photo by Frenkieb

Jane's childhood experience had stayed with her for decades and now she wanted to make the system better. That was the why behind her career change. She went on to say, "I've been the CEO. Now I just want to give back."

I asked Jane about her LinkedIn profile. Jane didn't have a back story, the one that said why she took the trouble to get a second degree or how experience as a successful serial entrepreneur put her ahead of many candidates with big picture thinking, business judgment, and tenacity. Without experience in her new field, the back story was even more important.

A friend of mine, Dave, is a writer. He delights in finding the quiet story that gets overlooked and bringing it to the forefront, if only for a few moments. He recently ended an email with the thought that "...some tales are more easily told and it's a lesson about finding the means of raising the stakes within the telling to make sure all great stories are heard."

What's your back story and how are you telling it so that it's being heard?

(BTW--I've been waiting years for Dan's traveling schedule to bring him to Denver. If you are a fan of his work, don't miss this opportunity to see him speak. This is a rare public appearance in the Denver area.)

We'll explore questions like:

"While the economy is still recovering, is there an alternative to hunkering down?"

"What's the dirty little secret of who rises to the top of a field, no matter what field that is?"

"I'm a new grad. How do I start a career in a recession?"

"Why does persistence trump talent?"

"I fell into work that I'm doing today. How can I get back to more satisfying work?"

"Why does "being competent" no longer cut it in today's marketplace?"

This event is sponsored by the Northwestern Club of Colorado and is open to the public. As a bonus, we will be raffling off all four of Pink's books and I'm throwing in a month of coaching. If you decide to attend, let me know ahead of time so that I can be sure to look for you.

And no matter where you are located, here are two books on careers and the workplace that I recommend:

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. This book lays out the case for why today's carrot and stick approach to the workplace often doesn't produce the intended results, especially as our work has evolved to more creative endeavors. Okay, those of you who are still locked into the tyranny of time and motion studies may be an exception. But for the rest of us, we really are expected to be more than cogs in a corporate wheel. I especially like how Pink provides guidance for where employers and employees should be looking, to get the kind of results that lead to high stock prices and innovation (think: Google.) Hint: how can you have more autonomy, mastery, and purpose in your daily work?

The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. This is a fascinating book that will make you think differently about how to develop talent. The author describes the development of talent from a physiological perspective (i.e., brain stuff that explains why neural connections happen faster in some people than others), from an environmental perspective (i.e., signals in the surroundings that keep the spark of inspiration alive) and from a coaching perspective (i.e., what really effective coaches do and how they do it.) He uses examples from "talent hotbeds" in a variety of disciplines, from singing to Little League baseball to education. All of this adds up to some key points on what it takes to get to mastery.

I love to read because it opens me up to new ways of thinking and doing things. What books have you read lately that have made you think differently, about careers or anything else?

I've always loved the week between Christmas and New Year's, even when I had no vacation days left and found myself working in a deadly quiet office. It's in the stillness that my mind settles down enough to plan for the coming year and reflect on what I've learned from the previous year. It's also the time to clean out clutter--both mental and physical, so that the new year starts with clear, glorious space. Photo by aramolara.